Changsha Yongsheng vs. Hong Kong Golden Bulls Preview: Changsha Returns Home to Go All Out, Jones Leads Team to Seek Sweep

At 19:30 on September 4th, the NBL playoff semifinal Game 3 kicks off, with Changsha Wantian Yongsheng returning home to face Hong Kong Golden Bulls, currently trailing 0-2 in the series.

Changsha Wantian Yongsheng achieved a record of 16 wins and 10 losses in the regular season, ranking third in the league and successfully advancing to the playoffs. In the first round, they swept Jiangsu Tanggou Guocang 2-0 to advance to the semifinals. Entering the semifinals, Changsha Yongsheng faced a tough challenge against the second-ranked Hong Kong Golden Bulls and struggled to keep up. They suffered a 78-102 defeat in the first game and lost again 86-101 in the second game, now trailing 0-2 in the series, just one game away from elimination. This time, back at home, they have no choice but to go all out.

In the first two games of the semifinals, Changsha Yongsheng still exposed the issue of relying too much on foreign players. In both games, only three foreign players scored in double digits, while domestic players provided little support. In the second game, Wells scored 31 points, Forsythe 23 points, and Maric 12 points with 14 rebounds. The highest-scoring domestic player was Sun Chunpeng with only 7 points. During the regular season, Changsha Yongsheng’s three foreign players averaged 66 points per game, while domestic players did not score in double digits on average, showing a gap compared to the top teams. Additionally, Changsha Yongsheng is an offense-oriented team with a poor defense. If they cannot limit Hong Kong’s offense, it will be difficult to stop their opponents.

Hong Kong Golden Bulls had a regular season record of 22 wins and 4 losses, placing second in the league. They also swept Jiangxi Ganchi 2-0 in the first round to advance to the semifinals. The first two games of the semifinals went smoothly, winning both matches comfortably, leading 2-0 in the series and just one win away from advancing to the finals. For this away game, Hong Kong needs to prepare for a tough battle and must not relax, needing to give their all to advance early, especially since Anhui Wenyi is also leading 2-0 in the other semifinal.

Hong Kong Golden Bulls’ overall strength is formidable, with players in good form. The team’s top core player, Jones, has been continuously improving in the playoffs, scoring 31 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists in the last game. Under his leadership, the team hit 15 three-pointers, with Dong Jian from the bench hitting 6 three-pointers and scoring 24 points. Compared to Changsha, Hong Kong has greater depth in its lineup, and domestic players can contribute more.

The two teams met four times in the regular season, with Hong Kong Golden Bulls taking 3 wins and 1 loss, holding the advantage. In the first two games of the semifinals, Hong Kong Golden Bulls also won both, leading 2-0 in the series. It is believed that under Jones’ leadership, they will strive to end the suspense in this away game, aiming to advance to the finals with a 3-0 sweep.

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